Carmel High School students dive deep into history at National History Day state contest

Top finishers in junior & senior categories to appear will national contest in June

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) recently welcomed 375 students from 37 schools across the state who took part in the 2024 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) State Contest on Saturday, April 20 at Marian University in Indianapolis.

NHDI is a yearlong program dedicated to enhancing history education in Indiana’s schools. Students in grades four through 12 explore a historical subject that fits under the annual theme. This year’s theme is “Turning Points in History,” inviting students to research and select turning points in U.S. history that interest them the most. Students use their research to create a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website.

Click here to see a list of NHDI State Contest winners, including student names, school names, project categories and project names. The top finishers in each junior and senior category are now eligible to compete in the National Contest for National History Day held June 9 to 13 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Educators and students alike use NHDI because it allows them to build critical thinking, inquiry, analysis, and presentation skills through subjects the students are passionate about. Whether students create mini projects in class or go all the way to regional and state contests, educators and students share control of the project.

Students qualified for state by taking part in regional contests where volunteer judges worked in teams to assess projects, give feedback, and rank winners. All regional finalists advanced to the state contest, where students also had the chance to win special prizes for Indiana history topics.

NHDI is presented by Indiana Constructors, Inc., with support from Rooker Family Foundation and Vigran Family Foundation and made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information, visit indianahistory.org/historyday or call (317) 232-1882.